Devan Gillis (right), a senior at Northeast High School, attempts to use a robot to pick up a mini Crunch bar during career day at Career and Technical Education Center of Crawford County on Wednesday morning. MICHAEL STAVOLA/THE MORNING SUN

​By Michael Stavolamstavola@morningsun.netPosted Jan. 27, 2016 at 7:33 PM Pittsburg, Kan.PITTSBURG — Around 200 area upperclassman were introduced to post high school options at the Career and Technical Education Center of Crawford County on Wednesday morning.The students interacted with roughly 30 different vendors representing higher education, first responders and other local businesses. Some students were excited about the free handouts while others used it as a platform to their future careers.“The candy” is the best part, said Jasmine Floyd, a senior at Northeast High School.Chandler Jackson, a senior at Southeast High School, took to heart a conversation with Randy Timi, a professor in the school of construction at Pittsburg State University.Jackson plans to attend PSU in the fall, and while he is undecided in his major, he is leaning towards a degree in the school of construction.“A lot of students get jobs through the program,” Jackson said after his talk with Timi.The professor said there is a misconception a in degree in construction means labor positions such as carpentry. Timi said the degree is valuable to achieving a construction management position.“Those positions have opportunity for lots of money,” Timi said.Other vendors included Fort Scott Community College, Watco Companies and Pitsco Education where students tried to use a robot to pick up a mini Crunch bar.“It was really hard,” said Devan Gillis, a senior at Northeast.Students also heard a short lecture from Jon Bishop, principal at Pittsburg High School. He spoke about employability skills and three things to be successful: Problem solving, critical thinking and collaboration skills.“There are a lot of kids who are scared that they don’t know what they are going to go into right now,” Bishop said. “This gives them a chance to see what’s out there.”From 9 a.m. till 11 a.m., students from Frontenac, Northeast, Pittsburg and Southeast interacted with different organizations. The annual event was put on by the Business and Education Alliance.“Our goal is for students to be aware of options locally,” said Mindy Cloninger, chair of the career day committee. “There are a lot of viable options right here in Crawford County.”— Michael Stavola is a staff writer at The Morning Sun. He can be emailed at mstavola@morningsun.net or follow him on Twitter @MichaelStavola1.

Pittsburg, Kan.PITTSBURG — Mack O’Dell reluctantly joined the masonry program at Career and Technical Education Center of Crawford County his sophomore year.O’Dell, now a junior at Pittsburg High School receiving dual credit at CTEC, travels each weekday to Pittsburg’s east industrial park where he works on his craft from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. O’Dell won a regional masonry contest and will now head to Las Vegas to compete in the World of Masonry contest.​“He’s amazing, one of the best students I have ever had,” Nacoma Oehme said. Nacoma’s father, Glenn, originally talked O’Dell into joining the masonry program.O’Dell’s talents led him to win a regional competition in October 2015. The competition was hosted at CTEC’s location in Pittsburg’s east industrial park. He competed against roughly six people with similar amounts of experience.

Contestants were given a few hours to construct a 4 foot long by 3 foot tall brick wall. Then, judges looked at measurements, if the wall was level and how the mason handled themselves and tools.All of the instructors at CTEC are employed through Fort Scott Community College, who will be paying for O’Dell’s trip to Las Vegas.

“It’s huge, he is going to compete against people from all over the world,” Oehme saidO’Dell will be leave on Feb. 1. and compete later in the week. The competition lasts six hours and, again, O’Dell will compete against masons with similar amounts of experience.Although, Oehme said some competitors could be apprentices and practice masonry on a full time basis.

“In real life there is competition, you will always be competing against the next guy,” Oehme said. “It shows them that to be successful in life you have to be competitive.”O’Dell placed seventh at a national competition in Kentucky last year. He said he is nervous about competing in an international competition, but thought the nerves would cease when the competition begins.

“When you get in there, it is like laying (bricks) in class,” O’Dell said.O’Dell welcomes any challengers who think masonry is easy. His friend, Josh Newport, took the invitation while O’Dell was building a brick mailbox for Newport’s parents.

After laying just two bricks, Newport realized the job was a daunting task.‘You are going to have to re-lay those.”’ O’Dell recalls Newport saying.CTEC had a student place third at the World of Masonry contest two years ago.

“It shows the level of education these students are being provided that they are going out and being able to compete on an international level,” said Michelle Hucke, executive director at CTEC. “We have incredible instructors out here who are masters at their craft.”

Mack O'Dell practices his craft at Career and Technical Education Center in Pittsburg before heading to Las Vegas to compete in the international masonry contest on Monday. MICHAEL STAVOLA/THE MORNING SUN

— Michael Stavola is a staff writer at The Morning Sun. He can be emailed at mstavola@morningsun.net or follow him on Twitter @MichaelStavola1.